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(No Model.)

- J. P. GONOVER.

STRINGING PIANOS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

N. Ptrun, Mo-Uthqrwr. mm In;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JAMES F. OONOVER, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

STRINGING PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,277, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed September 12, 1884. Serial No. 142,359. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. CoNovER, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In pianos of the usual construction the long covered strings and the long plain strings do not exert sufficient pressure on the long bridge and base bridge on the sounding-board, and the result is that the tones of the long strings do not possess sufficient power and resonance.

The object of my invention is to remedy this deficiency; and it consists in providing additional pressure strings adjacent to the long covered and plain strings, which additional strings rest on the bridge and exert a pressure on the same, but are not struck by a hammer and are not sounded.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure lis aface view of a piano frame and sounding-board provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one construction of the device for drawing taut the pressure-strings.

The lower end of the long bridge A, secured on the sounding-board B, has it lower end forked or provided with a prong, G. The long plain strings D, at the transition of the scale, rest on the end of the bridge A; but as those springs are very long and their bearings are far apart they do not exert sufficient pressure on the bridge and sounding-board to produce powerful, resonant, and clear tones.

From the metal frame E a bracket or lug, F, projects upwardly and laterally a short distance from the end of the bridge A, and through the said bracket two screw-bolts, G, are passed parallel with the frame E, and on the lower end of the said bolts G heads H are formed, from which pins J project. Short strings K, having their ends secured on pins a on the frame E in the usual manner, rest on the fork or prong O and are passed over the pins J on the heads H. Nuts M are screwed on the upper ends of the bolts G. By means of the said nuts the bolts G can be drawn up and the strings K drawn as taut as may be desired. As the said strings are short and their bearings a short distance apart, they can exert a very great pressure on the fork O, and also a great pressure on the soundingboard, thus increasing the effects of the vibrations of the long strings l), and rendering the tones more powerful and resonant. The upper end of the bass-bridge L is bent upward, and over itshort strings K are passed, which are arranged and fastened in the manner described. The long covered strings N rest on the bass'bridge, and they also are very long and do not exert sufficient pressure 011 the bridge, which deficiency is made up by the short strings K resting on the upper end of the bridge L.

I do not wish to limit myself to the hereindescribed devices for tightening the pressurestrings, as I may use any of the well-known devices for this purpose. It will be observed that by forking the lower end of the long bridge A the short strings K have a double bearing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano, the combination, with the sounding-board, the bridges, and the plate E, having brackets or projections F, of short strings resting on the bridges and secured to fastening devices on the brackets, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a piano. the combination, with the sounding-board B and the bridge A, having its lower end forked, of the usual strings, and of additional strings resting on the forked end of the bridge and serving to exert a pressure on the sounding-board, substantially as herein shown and described.

J AMES F. GONOVER.

\Vitnesses:

Oscar. F. GUNZ, EDGAR TATE. 

